Atonement
by hidnfantasyz
Summary: An unlikely coincidence brings Peter Pettigrew and the young Harry Potter together under interesting circumstances. Warnings: May contain slight OOCness of some characters, may possibly contain more mature themes in future. Reader's discretion is advised. I do not own Harry Potter, other characters locations or the magical world of Harry Potter.


**Completely wrote this on a whim one day while bored. Unsure where it will go from here if anywhere. I noticed most fanfic include evil peter and involve peter getting locked up in order for sirius black to be free. i was just feeling the peter love when i wrote this. I do not own Harry Potter, other characters locations or the magical world of Harry Potter.**

May 11th, 1989. It was a day like any other for Harry. He woke up in the cupboard to his Aunt Petunia and was told to start breakfast before his cousin and uncle woke up. Then, like every other day he hears her get into the shower which meant he had about 15 minutes before he had to suffer the ultimate displeasure of his uncle. Harry quickly started to fry eggs and bacon and pushed some bread into the toaster, brought out a large pitcher of orange juice from the fridge. Harry was 7 years old, soon to be 8 at the end of the summer. He had fewer delusions about pleasing his aunt and uncle but he hoped for the best. As if on cue, his cousin and uncle came down shortly after for breakfast.

Dudley seemed slightly excited about something which wasn't usual for an early school morning. Harry thought about it then he realized today was the day of the field trip. Dudley made this ridiculous face while Uncle Vernon started his car and Harry finished washing the dishes and getting his things for school. Harry knew what Dudley was doing. He'd seen it too many times to not know. Dudley whined, "Mum can I please go to the Mammal Preservation Center with the other kids?" Aunt Petunia, being the easily manipulated sap that she is, signed his permission slip and ushered him out to the car. Aunt Petunia then proceeded to fold laundry and watch television.

Harry being too much of a freak to get a ride to school had to walk and was about to but, he really wanted to go to the Mammal Preservation Center too. He took a chance and prayed to whatever deity that would listen, 'Please let Aunt Petunia sign my field trip permission form'. Unknowingly Harry's accidental magic kicked in similar to the effects of the Imperius Curse when he asked his Aunt aloud to sigh his permission form. Her eyes glazed and looked a little distant and she answered in a dull monotone, "Ok Harry." At this, Harry staggered back. He was sure she would say no and Aunt Petunia absolutely **NEVER** called him by his name. Confused and shocked Harry walked to school not knowing what to think.

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Peter Pettigrew had done some stupid things in his life and he knew this. Nowadays Peter was constantly wondering how things would have played out if he had acted differently. Life as a rat in the Weasley Household wasn't luxurious by any means but it was better than the following: One, Azkaban. Two, being dead. Three, still being in service to the Dark Lord. Peter scurried off in his rat form outside the home to avoid those demonic identical twin redheads that seemed to cause bigger explosions than his favored Bombarda in what they called "Good-Natured fun and pranks". Not that Peter had any room to talk or criticize being one of the marauders.

While relaxing on a rock close to the edge of the Weasley's property Peter was lost in his thoughts, memories, and feelings of guilt. He didn't even notice the large bird predator swooping down and it grabbed him before he had any idea what was going on. Peter thought that his luck had finally run out and this might be the end for him. He was slowly losing consciousness and realized the bird's talon must have been soaked in some kind of sleeping potion.

Unaware of how long he was out for he took in his new surroundings. A man, likely a wizard, was in the process of selling him to some muggle. Peter's usual instincts would be to panic but he felt something in his personality changing. He was no longer some boy who could just run away from his problems anymore. Peter was realizing that if he wanted his life to change he was going to have to take initiative. He focused on thinking rationally. 'Ok, my odds of survival and escape are significantly higher with the muggle so I should probably bide my time and wait for an opportunity to present itself.' Peter waited, he watched the muggle pay his end and moments later, was shift towards the muggle inside his cage. This muggle was odd, even for a muggle. The muggle began talking to peter like the rat was going to respond to him. "Don't you worry, little rat you'll be taken to this nice mammal reservation that will take excellent care of you." Peter did the closest a rat could do to sigh.

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Harry got to his primary school on time surprisingly and handed his permission slip to his teacher. The teacher was slightly shocked being as previously Harry's cousin Dudley always had permission to do things where Harry never did. Dudley didn't look to happy to see Harry handing in his slip signed. The class was told to line up in 3 different groups. With 21 kids in the class each group ended up with 7 kids. Unfortunately for Harry both Piers and Dudley were put in the same group as him. The class arrived at the Mammal Center after 30 minutes on the bus.

After walking around and learning about the mammals each group was supposed to go to a previously chosen spot to get ready to get back on the bus. Harry was extremely talented when it came to going unnoticed by others due to practice with his relatives. So after Piers and Dudley pushed him into a maintenance closet and closing the door so he couldn't get out it wasn't surprising that his group's chaperone didn't notice his disappearance. While his group was getting on the bus he was trying to find some way out of the closet he got trapped inside of. Harry started thinking 'I knew coming on this field trip was a bad idea. I never should have asked Aunt Petunia to sign my permission slip. Now there's 2 likely outcomes and neither is going to go well for me. I'm either stuck here until someone finally finds me and I get sent back to the Dursley's and get the punishment of a lifetime for being a disobedient freak, or someone finds me and doesn't send me back and I'm stuck with whatever situation arises from that.' Harry began to cry, he justified it to himself for 2 reasons. He hadn't cried in quite a while and was overdue considering his life and the second reason being his life was just plain unfair. He sat on the floor and just sobbed quietly.

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Peter spent all day at this reservation with these muggles studying him and placing him in some weird environment that Peter assumed was supposed to mimic a natural wildlife for a rodent his size. The place was getting ready to close for the night and 90% of the staff had gone home, now only the night staff was working around the place.

Peter couldn't stop thinking about his two most stupid mistakes he ever made. James though arrogant at some times and insensitive at others was nothing less than an outstanding friend to him. Lily was one of the nicest people he had ever met in his life. Peter thought bitterly 'So what did I do for them, to repay that incredible kindness and friendship? Oh, that's right…. I got them killed because I was a coward. If that wasn't bad enough one of my other closest friends confronts me on it and I get him framed to spend what's about to be 7 years in prison for crime he was innocent of. Some friend I am.' Peter always felt guilty ever since that Halloween night but, for some reason his guilt just kept eating away at him today and unlike other days nothing he did could stop the agonizing feeling.

Just then, Peter realized the habitat boundary, or large cage in simpler terms that he was trapped inside of, was opened so one of the night time employees could clean the cage. Peter didn't hesitate even for a moment, as soon as the employee foolishly turned his back Peter made a silent running leap right out of the cage. Peter stealthily moved about the hallways trying to find a way out but also thinking of what the bloody hell he was going to do after escaping the facility. Just then Peter heard a noise that seem rather out of place to his sensitive rodent ears. It sounded like a younger child quietly crying and it was coming from the closet on the other side of the hall. Peter quickly looked around to make sure there were no witnesses; he sent a small but strong magical pulse out from his core to disable any electronic devices that might be monitoring the facility's hallways. His conscious spoke to him, 'Peter this is your chance to stop cowering and commit an act of bravery, this is a chance for you to start trying to atone for your past sins, Even if only to save some muggle's child.' However, little did Peter know that this was much more than an opportunity to save a muggle child. This was the most unlikely coincidence that could ever occur. That is, if one believes in coincidences.

**A/N: So this is my first HP fanfic and second attempt at even writing a fanfic. Unfortunately i deleted my last fanfic a few chapters in due to lack of inspiration and ideas. Hopefully that will not be the case with this fic. This is a tiral post so it is very likely that the next update wont be for a long time, As I am unsure if I am going to write it beyond this point. I welcome all comments so review away. Include suggestions you like or whether or not you would keep reading. :/ Oh... and also I'd like your opinion on whether this first chapter moves too quickly or too slowly or just right because that will help determine how the pace the rest of the story might move at if i continue writing it.**


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